Xinhua recently published an article that compiled material from various foreign media reports; they covered a wide range of China’s pollution related issues affecting agriculture. The article estimated that around 70 percent of China’s arable land is heavily polluted. Over the past 30 years, Chinese agriculture doubled its output at the cost of polluting its soil and rivers. The pollution was largely due to incorrect use of chemical fertilizers. Food pollution has become one of the primary threats to people’s health in China. According to official records, most of the 90 billion tons of polluted water and 280 million tons of garbage produced annually by agricultural activities are not processed for environmental protection. The lack of necessary equipment was cited as the key barrier. Chinese agriculture consumes 2.5 times more chemical fertilizers than the global average. Experts called for serious and careful handling of chemicals that accumulate over time.
Source: Xinhua, April 14, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/overseas/2013-04/14/c_124578183.htm